WHICH FACTORS ARE INFLUENCING ARTISTIC SWIMMING PERFORMANCE?

Rhythmic ability (RA) plays an important role in sports in which music accompaniment is used, such as artistic swimming (AS). The aim of the present study was to investigate RA's relationship with the athletes’ overall performance in AS, as well as the independent scores of AS performance (i.e., Execution, Artistic Impression and Difficulty), taking into account their competitive category and experience. The sample consisted of 47 female artistic swimmers (age 15.8±3.3 years; athletic experience 6.6±3.3 years) divided into three competitive categories (Senior, Junior, and Comen). The High/Scope Rhythmic Competence Αnalysis Τest (Weikart, 1989) was used for the evaluation of RA of participants. Three official AS judges were used to assess athletes’ performance in the water routine session. Descriptive and inferential (i.e., two MANCOVAs) statistical analysis revealed that experience was a significant positive predictor of AS Performance and RA, indicating that as experience increased, athletes’ AS performance and RA also increased. In addition, results showed that athletes in the senior category scored higher in all variables in relation to junior and comen athletes; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Article visualizations

Greek pre-service physical education teachers’ beliefs about curricular orientations: Instrument validation and examination of four important goals

<strong>BACKGROUND</strong>: The way people interpret reality is influenced by their mental constructions, their cognitive abilities and their beliefs. Physical Education (PE) students have a wide range of formed beliefs concerning the purposes of PE, which cannot be easily modified, even during undergraduate studies. <strong>OBJECTIVE</strong>: This study validated the scores from a previously constructed questionnaire and investigated the Physical Education students&rsquo; belief systems toward the Greek curricular outcome goals. <strong>METHODS</strong>: Students (N = 483; males = 259, females = 224) from a Greek Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science shared their beliefs about curricular outcomes. They completed the Greek version of the four factor instrument &ldquo;Attitudes/beliefs toward curriculum in physical education&rdquo;. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the validation of the instrument and MANOVAs followed in order to control for group differences. Finally, a profile analysis was run in order to determine if PE students considered each goal to be equally important. <strong>RESULTS</strong>: The validation of the instrument confirmed the proposed four factors dependant model. Both internal consistency and the confirmatory factor analysis fit indices produced valid and reliable scores. The profile analysis was significant, indicating that students did not view the outcome goals as equally important. The leading goal was physical activity and fitness, followed by self-actualization, social development and motor skill development. MANOVA results for comparisons between sub-groups revealed significant differences only between genders. <strong>CONCLUSIONS</strong>: Between groups similarities and differences are discussed, focusing on the classification of the four important outcome goals. Currently, Greek Physical Education students consider physical activity and fitness outcome goal as the most important, while motor skill development is considered the least important one

UTICAJ VEŠBI NA SUVOM NA PERFORMANSE SPORTISTKINJA U UMETNIČKOM PLIVANJU

It is a common practice among female athletes of artistic swimming to execute a dry-land drill of their routine just before its final execution in the water. The potential advantages of this established procedure have never been confirmed on an experimental basis. This study aimed at providing statistical evidence vindicating the dry-land drill. Forty seven Greek athletes of artistic swimming (seven of whom belong to the Greek National team) were given a routine containing standard figures, positions and movements. This routine was performed twice, with and without prior dry-land drill, executed in a random order with a lapse of one week between the two performances. The same three international judges were recruited to rate the performances in the standard three panels of execution, difficulty and artistic impression. The ratings of the performance including a dry-land drill were significantly better (paired t-test, p<0.001) than those without it. This improvement was consistent in all categories and levels of athletes. The enhancement in the performance brought about by the execution of a dry-land drill was more pronounced in younger athletes. The improvement in athletes’ performance when they execute a dry-land drill may play an important role in the ranking of the athletes in national and international events. Dry-land drill should be recommended as a standard operating procedure in artistic swimmingUobičajena je praksa među takmičarkama u umetničkom plivanju da izvode vežbu na suvom u svojoj rutini neposredno pre konačnog izvođenja u vodi. Potencijalne prednosti ovog utvrđenog postupka nikada nisu potvrđene na eksperimentalnoj osnovi. Ova studija je imala za cilj da pruži statističke dokaze koji potvrđuju značaj vežbi na suvom terenu. Četrdeset sedam grčkih sportista umetničkog plivanja (od kojih sedam nastupa za grčku reprezentaciju) dobilo je rutinu koja sadrži standardne figure, položaje i pokrete. Ova rutina je izvedena dva puta, sa i bez prethodne vežbe na suvom, izvedena nasumičnim redosledom sa pauzom od jedne nedelje između dva izvođenja. Tri međunarodne sudije su angažovane da ocenjuju performanse u standardna tri panela izvođenja, težine i umetničkog utiska. Ocene performansi uključujući vežbe na suvom bile su značajno bolje (upareni t-test, p<0,001) od onih bez njih. Ovo poboljšanje je bilo dosledno u svim kategorijama i nivoima sportista. Poboljšanje performansi koje je donelo izvođenje vežbe na suvom bilo je izraženije kod mlađih sportista. Poboljšanje performansi sportista kada izvode vežbu na suvom može igrati važnu ulogu u rangiranju sportista na nacionalnim i međunarodnim takmičenjima. Vežbe na suvom treba preporučiti kao standardni operativni postupak u umetničkom plivanju

The Effect of Aerobic Fitness on Psychological, Attentional and Physiological Responses during a Tabata High-Intensity Interval Training Session in Healthy Young Women

The current study examines the effects of a Tabata high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session on affective, cognitive and physiological indicators in women of different fitness levels. A total of 28 adult women (aged 24.2 ± 1.5 years) completed a 20 m shuttle run test and were then assigned to higher fitness and lower fitness groups (HF and LF, n = 14 each) according to their predicted aerobic power. On a separate occasion, participants completed a 30 min Tabata workout (six 4 min rounds separated by 1 min passive rest). Each round included eight exercises (20 s exercise and 10 s rest). Affective, physiological and cognitive responses were assessed prior to, during and after the protocol. Heart rate and blood lactate concentration increased similarly in both groups over time throughout the workout (p p = 0.48), vigor showed a level by time interaction of p = 0.006 and Activation–Deactivation Adjective Check List factors deteriorated over time (p p = 0.05). The Feeling Scale and Rating of Perceived Exertion worsened similarly in both groups over time (p = 0.002 and p p > 0.05). These results show that, despite the different levels of aerobic fitness, physiological, metabolic, perceptual and affective responses were similar in the two groups of women during a 30 min Tabata session. This may imply that affective responses during this type of HIIT are independent of aerobic fitness

Parental burnout across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all societies worldwide. The heightened levels of stress that accompanied the crisis were also expected to affect parenting in many families. Since it is known that high levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to a condition that has severe consequences for health and well-being, we examined whether the prevalence of parental burnout in 26 countries (9,923 parents; 75% mothers; mean age 40) increased during COVID-19 compared to few years before the pandemic. In most (but not all) countries, analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of parental burnout during the pandemic. The results further revealed that next to governmental measures (e.g., number of days locked down, homeschooling) and factors at the individual and family level (e.g., gender, number of children), parents in less (vs. more) indulgent countries suffered more from parental burnout. The findings suggest that stricter norms regarding their parenting roles and duties in general and during the pandemic in particular might have increased their levels of parental burnout

Parental Burnout Across the Globe During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all societies worldwide. The heightened levels of stress that accompanied the crisis were also expected to affect parenting in many families. Since it is known that high levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to a condition that has severe consequences for health and well-being, we examined whether the prevalence of parental burnout in 26 countries (9,923 parents; 75% mothers; mean age 40) increased during COVID-19 compared to few years before the pandemic. In most (but not all) countries, analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of parental burnout during the pandemic. The results further revealed that next to governmental measures (e.g., number of days locked down, homeschooling) and factors at the individual and family level (e.g., gender, number of children), parents in less (vs. more) indulgent countries suffered more from parental burnout. The findings suggest that stricter norms regarding their parenting roles and duties in general and during the pandemic in particular might have increased their levels of parental burnout.peerReviewe

Parental burnout across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all societies worldwide. The heightened levels of stress that accompanied the crisis were also expected to affect parenting in many families. Since it is known that high levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to a condition that has severe consequences for health and wellbeing, parental burnout, we examined whether the prevalence of parental burnout in 26 countries (9923 parents; 75% mothers; mean age 40) increased during COVID-19 compared to few years before the pandemic. In most (but not all) countries, analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of parental burnout during the pandemic. The results further revealed that next to governmental measures (e.g., number of days locked down, home-schooling) and factors at the individual and family level (e.g., gender, number of children), parents in less (versus more) indulgent countries suffered more from parental burnout. The findings suggest that stricter norms regarding their parenting roles and duties in general and during the pandemic in particular might have increased their levels of parental burnout